


The Rhythm of Living

by Tabithian



Series: In Fashionable Time [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Nightwing (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 09:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabithian/pseuds/Tabithian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few weeks later and there's another Bat poking around. Not <i>the</i> Bat, but one of his kids, if the rumor mill's right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rhythm of Living

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of [an exchange](http://tabithian.tumblr.com/post/31515432599/i-do-what-i-want-fic-no-place-that-far-1-1) with soot-em-up where Tim goes to check out his future brother because it's only a matter of time. (I picture Tim's Flamebird suit in this to look like his Unternet suit, with a snazzy cape because I really love that suit.)

A few weeks later and there's another Bat poking around. Not _the_ Bat, but one of his kids, if the rumor mill's right. 

"The hell do you want?"

The Bat - Jesus, it's a _kid_. Even younger than Robin and he maybe, _maybe_ , reaches Jason's shoulder at most. The Bat steps out of the shadows like the rest of the melodramatic fuckers in Gotham because heaven forbid they make a normal entrance. 

"I heard you're the one to talk to around here."

The kid's the opposite of stealth, big red fucking bird emblem on his chest, stripes like wings extending down his arms to his fingers. The cape, though. That's the real showstopper in reds and yellows and oranges, made to look like stylized flames. It's amazing, and not exactly in the good way because fucking really?

“You've got to be kidding me.” Jason's heard of him thanks to Colin. Nightwing's new partner up in Bludhaven, although the two of them have been seen around Gotham more and more lately. It's bad enough when he has Batman hounding him, but he's sure as hell not going to put up with crap from his kids.

Flamebird just arches an eyebrow at him.

Jason stares at him. Damn Bat, or maybe he's a bird, Jason doesn't really care. What he cares about is getting the guy to fucking well leave before someone who shouldn't sees him. "I'm not talking to you, or Daddy Bats. Unless you have a reason to bother us - “

"Actually," Flamebird says, something in his voice Jason doesn't like at all, it sounds a little too much like blackmail coming on. "I do."

"Okay, that's it," Jason growls, common sense taking a backseat as he stalks right up the little bastard and pokes him in the center of the damn bird he's wearing. "We're not bothering anyone, so you can just leave us the hell alone."

Flamebird smiles, like maybe this is all fun and games to him.

“Are you actually crazy?" Jason has to ask, he really does. 

Half the people in Gotham are certifiable, Jason among them. Batman's a no-brainer, and not just for dressing like a freaking bat. No, that's the least weird thing about the guy. The fact that he goes head to head with Joker and the rest of Gotham's baddies over and over again? _That's_ fucking crazy.

"It's possible," Flamebird says. “But that's not what I'm here to talk to you about.”

“I'm not - “

“Harper Row,” Flamebird says, voice cutting through Jason's protests. “You know her?”

Oh fucking _hell_.

“Look - “

“You know,” Flamebird says, looking around. “You're clearly an adult.” 

Goddamn, but that's some amazing detective work there.

“But the rest of them aren't.”

The bastard's eyes flick to the windows of their building where Jason just knows the others are watching because they're _idiots_. And no, they're not adults, but Jason will be damned if he lets anyone, even a Bat, put them back in a system as broken as Gotham's. 

“The fuck do you really want?” Jason growls, and to hell with this kid being some kind of superhero. He doesn't get to threaten them like this. No one gets to.

“I told you.” 

Flamebird just looks at Jason, like they're talking about the weather, like he didn't just threaten Jason's fa – his brats. 

“Harper Row.” A pause, like he's considering something. “And her brother.”

“No deal.” Harper's a pain in his ass, sure, but she also finagled them power over the winter. Kept them from freezing when Jason couldn't cover all the bills with as many mouths to feed and bodies to clothe as he has.

Flamebird smiles. “I can see why he likes you.”

And that. Jesus Christ, what is his life right now?

“If you happen to see her, could you give her this?” Flamebird holds out a screwdriver of all things. It's a little singed, which. Jason doesn't even know, it's Harper. She gets into all kinds of shit. “She dropped this.”

Jason stares. “What?”

Flamebird actually looks apologetic. “A word of advice? Someone's going to notice what she's doing sooner or later. Someone's going to notice _you_ , sooner or later.” He pulls a card out of one of the pouches on his belt and holds it out. “There are people who can help.” 

Jason looks at the card for something called Neon Knights, but doesn't take it, and is this kid for real?

“They can put you in touch with people you can trust,” Flamebird says. “Even if you don't trust me, or the system.”

At least he has some brains on him to know that Jason's not about to trust someone who threatened his brats.

Flamebird’s smile slides sideways, going from amused to. Something Jason doesn't want to think about because the kid's a bastard, and the last thing Jason wants is to feel sorry for him. “Believe me, it helps to have a support system.”

“You're an asshole.” It needs to be said.

That gets an actual laugh. “Comes with the job,” Flamebird says, and.

And Jason can see Colin – kid's _never_ going to learn – watching from behind a dumpster. The others are watching from the building's windows, waiting to see how this is going to play out. Flamebird just stands there, holding the card up like he has all damn night and nowhere to be and is just fucking fine with that.

The hell of it is, though, that Jason's been scrambling to keep things afloat with the brats from the beginning, and it's just getting worse. Harper decided to pitch in the only way she could, the only way Jason would let her. Jason's done everything he could, and it's falling apart and only an idiot would think otherwise.

“Asshole,” he says again, because he has the feeling it can never be said enough, and takes the damn card. 

Flamebird shrugs, like yes, he is, and turns to go. A few feet away he stops and looks back at Jason. “Oh, and if Batman comes by again? I was never here.”


End file.
